Events

Our annual events programme aims to create a real buzz in the town centre and highlight all that is great about working, living, visiting and doing business in Croydon.

Delivered with support from the local business community, the events are designed to attract more people into town and to create a positive lasting impression while providing businesses with an opportunity to boost sales. During Croydon BID’s second five year term from April 2012 - March 2017, we have delivered:

Big screen entertainment at Platform Ruskin Square

Some of the world’s biggest sporting events were brought to the big screen at Platform Ruskin Square during the summer, giving spectators the chance to sit back and enjoy all the live action outdoors, thanks to support from Croydon BID.

From June 27th, all the thrills and spills of the 2016 Wimbledon tennis tournament were broadcast live to audiences on the specially-installed screen, enabling visitors to enjoy the great outdoors while cheering on their favourite players over a glass of Pimm’s and a dish of strawberries and cream.

Then, just a few weeks later, the big screen returned in time for all eyes to be on Britain’s sporting heroes as they enjoyed their success at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Croydon Heritage Day

‘Undiscovered Croydon’ was the theme of the 2016 Croydon Heritage Festival, which officially launched on June 18th with support from Croydon BID.

Croydon Heritage Day marked the official start of the week-long event which is delivered annually by the Whitgift Foundation and celebrates Croydon’s long and distinguished – but not so widely-known – history.

Packed with free entertainment, walking tours, open events and workshops, Heritage Day served as a tremendous launch-pad for the Festival and succeeded once again in attracting scores of extra visitors into town, interested in finding out more about some of Croydon’s most fascinating facts and secrets.

Pearl Izumi Cycle Tour puts Croydon back in the spotlight

Croydon once again became the focus of the world’s sporting media on June 7th when the Pearl Izumi Cycling Tour Series hit town for the second successive year with support from Croydon BID

The men’s Pearl Izumi Tour Series and the women’s Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series saw some of the UK’s top elite cyclists blast their way around the town centre circuit, passing the familiar landmarks of the Town Hall, Croydon Clocktower and Surrey Street Market, as they took part in the only London leg of this series of professional road races.

Cheering spectators filled the route and restaurants and pubs around the course kept hunger and thirst at bay, while live music courtesy of Croydon BID and the Beats and Eats collective kept people entertained between the cycling action.

Demonstrations and a host of community-based activities were also staged ahead of the professional events, with the aim of promoting cycling in Croydon and encouraging healthy living.

Street LIVE! stunt cyclists blaze a trail in Croydon

A team of intrepid stunt cyclists blazed a trail in North End at the beginning of June as a prelude to the return of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series to Croydon

The fearless 3Sixty Stunt Bike team dazzled audiences with their performances which incorporated a mixture of gravity-defying leaps and bounds and static balancing skills they had honed after hours of dedicated practice.

The high-octane entertainment was laid on by Croydon BID as a precursor to the 2016 Pearl Izumi professional cycle Tour Series, which made a return visit to Croydon on June 7th as the onlyLondon leg of the team-based town-and-city-centre cycle series.

Street LIVE! does its bit for Sport Relief

A decidedly competitive air pervaded across North End in March when people were invited to come into town and do their bit in aid of Sport Relief.

Part of our 2016 Street LIVE! entertainment programme, a series of wild and whacky challenges were laid on in the drive to inspire, energise and entertain visitors, in return for a donation to the charity.

Scores of visitors were tempted to try their hand a series of sporting challenges which included 'shooting the hoops' and 'surfing the waves' inflatable games, shinning up an eight metre high climbing wall or competing in the far less-strenuous Crazy Cube Zone challenges. Even armchair sports fans were catered for, with deckchairs available for them to sit back and enjoy live music throughout the day.

A four day continental market added extra colour to the event and a total of £780 was ultimately raised for Sport Relief as a result of the activities organised.

Having a ball at Croydon’s Christmas celebrations 2015

Stars from Cinderella, this year’s Fairfield Halls’ Christmas pantomime, took to the stage on Thursday, November 12th to entertain the crowds at the countdown to our spectacular 2015 Christmas lights switch-on.

Led by top TV entertainer and popular gameshow host Stephen Mulhern, they were joined by Croydon’s mayor, Councillor Patricia Hayes-Justice, for the glittering finale to a fantastic afternoon of free family entertainment, which featured a wide variety of talented musicians, singers, dancers and street entertainers who pulled out all the stops to get Croydon’s festivities off to a great start.

Alongside the Fairfield Halls’ panto stars, the line-up of artists included local singer-songwriter and recent ‘X Factor’ contender Sophie Plumb, ‘The Voice’ Series 4 live finalist Howard Rose, BRIT school favourites, Khronos, the all-male youth dance company plus a host of performers from Croydon and beyond.

Street LIVE! showcases some of Britain's best buskers

Summer saw the first of a brand new series of foot-tapping, musical treats in Croydon, when Street LIVE!, embarked on a new initiative, aimed at setting fresh standards for busking and performing live music in the town.

Delivered in collaboration with Croydon Council and local licensed music venues, the busking initiative provides street performers with an opportunity to showcase their music in front of thousands of people passing through North End, while at the same time enabling them to perform for a set fee at one of the town's licensed venues in the evening.

As a result, the sound of music has filled North End over the course of the year, entertaining crowds of delighted shoppers.

ITV's X Factor comes to Croydon

Croydon proved it definitely has the X Factor in December when the town received a visit from X Factor competitor and finalist, Ben Haenow, and his mentor, music mogul, Simon Cowell.

The pair were in town to drum up support from fans ahead of the contest’s live final which took place in London the following weekend and in which Ben went on to claim a decisive victory.

Working in conjunction with Thames Television and with only six days’ notice, Croydon BID was pleased to step in to arrange the highpoint of Ben’s ‘homecoming’ tour on December 9th, when the singer and former van driver from Shirley was joined by friends and family on his X Factor battle bus tour of Croydon.

Ben received a rapturous welcome from around 5,000 spectators who had gathered in North End, despite the rain, to see him on stage and hear him perform the Beatles’ classic ‘Come Together’ and John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’.

The event which was delivered with support from Croydon Council, featured on the final X Factor show and was widely reported in the national, regional and local press and broadcast media, helping to put Croydon firmly and positively in the spotlight for its local talent.

Achievements:

Around 5,000 spectators in town for the event

Extensive positive coverage of the event in the national, regional and local broadcast and print media

Croydon's Cracking Christmas Celebrations 2014

Thousands of people flocked into the town centre on Thursday, November 13th to enjoy our spectacular Christmas lights switch-on event which, this year, was bigger and better than ever.

Featuring stars from the Fairfield Halls' Christmas pantomime, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, the switch-on countdown attracted a footfall of over 8,000 - nearly 9% more than in 2013 - and provided the glittering climax to an afternoon of fabulous free entertainment.

Things got off to an energetic start at midday, when dozens of local employees in Santa outfits joined in a festive Zumbathon in aid of local charity, Croydon Commitment. The spirited workout session was swiftly followed by performances throughout the afternoon from a host of talented, local musicians, singers and dancers, including the BRIT school’s fabulous all-male dance company Khronos who made a welcome return to the Town Centre.

The excitement really began to build from 6pm onwwards when panto stars Gareth Gates, Witney White and Quinn Patrick took to the stage before being joined by Croydon's Mayor, Councillor Manju-Shahul Hameed for the switch-on ceremony, which this year also included a fantastic rooftop pyrotechnics finale, courtesy of Centrale Shopping Centre.

Achievements:

Around 8,000 people in town at the time of the switch-on countdown

An estimated extra £1.6m spent as a result of our switch-on event

72% of people surveyed rated the event as either good or very good

44% of those surveyed said it had improved their view of Croydon

Sales increases of up to 10% reported by some Whitgift Centre anchor tenants

Street LIVE! takes Croydon by storm

A brand new series of regular street entertainment kicked off in April 2014, bringing some of the world's best-known street performers to North End and adding something new and a little bit different to Croydon town centre across the year.

Incorporating a mixture of Seaside, Circus, Urban Sports, Festival Fringe, European and Urban Sports themes, each of the six events featured the inspirational talents of acrobats, jugglers, clowns, mime artists and escapologists, to name just a few, all of whom thrilled the crowds with their incredible talent and unique brand of fun.

From record-holding football freestylers and high octane stilt and stunt bike teams to the two-times winner of the World Living Statue championships and one of the strongest ladies alive, all of the acts simply had to be seen to be believed and had audiences, sometimes literally, eating out of their hands.

81% of visitors surveyed rated our Urban Sports event as either good or very good

80% of visitors surveyed rated out European event as either good or very good

47% said the European event had improved their view of Croydon

Croydon’s Christmas Celebrations 2013

Our Christmas celebrations got off to a rousing start on Thursday, November 14th when popular TV baddie, Steve McFadden, joined forces with Croydon's Mayor, Councillor Yvette Hopley to switch on our town centre Christmas lights.

Thousands of spectators gathered in North End to watch Steve, supported by fellow performers from this year's Fairfield Halls' Chistmas panto, Peter Pan, turn on the lights and transform North End and surrounding streets into a twinkling winter wonderland.

The ceremony was the climax to an afternoon of lively entertainment, featuring dazzling performances from professional street entertainers and comedy stuntmen, plus an array of talented local muscians, singers and dancers who all helped to whip up a fabulous festive atmosphere.

The event was also the forerunner to a progamme of entertainment laid on by Croydon BID in the run-up to Christmas, with performances each Saturday throughout December from members of the highly acclaimed Covent Garden Entertainment company.

Achievements:

Around 7,000 spectators in the town at the time of the switch-on

An estimated £4m extra spent as a result of our switch-on event

65% of visitors spent longer in town as a result of the event

61% rated the switch-on as good or very good

Croydon’s BIG Get Fit Together – July 20-21st 2013

The pace of life definitely picked up in Croydon when our BIG Get Fit Together event came to town with the emphasis on fun and fitness for all the family.

Visitors had the chance to see and try out some of the many activities available, including professionally supervised dance and exercise classes, plus fencing, judo, rowing, taekwondo, yoga and Zumba demonstrations. There was even the chance to scale a 7m high climbing wall, test your football skills in a speed strike challenge or create your own free fruit smoothie on one of four smoothie bikes sited in North End. Delivered in partnership with the Whitgift and Centrale Shopping Centres, the event was also supported by the Crystal Palace FC Foundation, Virgin Active Croydon, MyPTStudio and easyGym. Representatives from Croydon Council’s Healthy Lifestyles team and British Heart Foundation were on hand too, providing advice and information on getting and staying in shape in Croydon.

Our 2012 events programme got off to a spectacular start when the Olympic Torch Relay came to town in July on its way to the Olympic Park in Stratford.

An estimated 200,000 people took to the streets to follow the torch’s progress through Croydon and we celebrated its arrival with a dazzling parade and three days of activities staged with support from the town’s two main shopping centres. A volley of cannon fire signalled the start of the procession, cascading thousands of pieces of colourful confetti across North End and creating a real sense of occasion. Around 100 performers including local musicians, dancers and community groups paraded and performed alongside professional street entertainers, stilt walkers and sports freestylers, helping to make it a truly memorable occasion. Watch our 2012 torch relay celebrations

Achievements:

£5.7 million extra spent in the town centre

74% visitors rated the events as good or very good

58% said they spent more time in Croydon as a result

32% said they were more likely to come to Croydon in future

Continental Markets

In response to public demand, our events programme is supplemented during the year with a series of continental markets, offering visitors a taste of the exotic and the chance to try something new.

Croydon BID delivers, on average, four Continental markets each and every year offering customers a real variety in their shopping experience. Our Continental Markets have added real value to the shopping offer, improving the perception and image of Croydon and the overall atmosphere.

Street LIVE! is a smash hit with tennis fans

Wild and whacky duo ‘Anyone for Tennis’ helped to get spectators in the mood for one of the nation’s biggest summer sporting events when they took to North End at the beginning of July, courtesy of Croydon BID.

The daring duo played out a series of side-splitting but thrilling, live "one set" matches throughout the day – all overseen by their own very ‘impartial’ judge and delivered with all the drama of a genuine Wimbledon final, complete with trick shots, slow motion replays, heated line calls, tantrums and live commentary.

The hilarious, interactive show was the latest in our series of Street LIVE! entertainment which is designed to give visitors yet another reason to come to Croydon town centre and leave them with a positive lasting impression.

'Pop-up' events help bridge the gap between work and play

A new series of free live music events was launched in October to bridge the gap between work and play-time and help support and strengthen Croydon’s evening economy.

A joint initiative between Croydon BID and Croydon Council, the first ‘CROWD’ event was headlined by the widely-acclaimed nine-piece Hackney Colliery Band and staged in a specially created zone within the St George’s Walk area.

Targeting those aged 21 years old and over, the event provided an eclectic mix of musical entertainment, street food and cocktails with the aim of encouraging more people to stay in town after work or come into Croydon in the early evening, in order to take advantage of everything the town has to offer.

Christmas lights switch-on delivers glittering start to the festive season

Our tenth successive Christmas lights switch-on welcomed in the 2016 festive season in glittering style in November as thousands of spectators enjoyed a star-studded afternoon and evening of free family entertainment.

The event provided the spectacular finale to an afternoon featuring stunning performances from a host of street entertainers, dancers and local musicians as well as a special treat for children, there were guest appearances from CBeebies TV stars, Abe Jarman and Jane Deane as well as children’s TV favourites PAW Patrol.

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About Us

We aim to make everyone's experience and impression of Croydon town centre a better one so it is regarded as one of the premier destinations in south London in which to work, live, visit and do business. find out more